Lettering device



May 7, 1968 D. w. soUzA LETTERING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed May I3, 1966 MST/www2? AacDEEGr-MJKLMNO INVENTOR.

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May 7, 1968 D. w. SOUZA 3,381,384

LETTERING DEVICE Filed May 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 6

f lf if)my 327 491% Lf-4a .4s- K BZ (la) INVENTOR David VV. Souza m, @JM anali/L Attorneys United States Patent O ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A portable plate like body is formed to receive and hold a sheet upon which lettering is to be placed and is formed with a guideway for a lettering guide mounted therein for reciprocation over the sheet so that various letters or other symbols may be applied to the surface of the sheet at desired locations thereon.

This invention relates generally to lettering devices and, more particularly, relates to lettering devices which employ a reciprocating lettering guide having symbol openings therein through which letters or symbols are formed upon a surface or object to be lettered.

Lettering devices have heretofore been in use which are constructed to be manually moved across a sheet of paper or -card for the application of letters or symbols to that surface. The symbol or lettering guide is usually comprised of a relatively thin member having a plurality of openings therein which define a series of symbols. The user will be guided by and letter through these openings with a pen, pencil or other marking instrument. These relatively simple devices, however, have been found to have several disadvantages. It is difficult to letter a straight line of symbols and often quite diiiicult to letter these symbols with even lateral spacing. Moreover, it is often difficult to letter a plurality of lines having an even vertical spacing throughout. As a result of these disadvantages, the work turned out using such lettering devices is very unprofessional in appearance.

More complex and sophisticated mechanical lettering devices are also in use. These devices, however, are often quite expensive and usually require a great deal of skill in their manipulation and use. As a result, it is often dilicult or impossible for unskilled personnel to become proficient with these more complex mechanical drafting tools.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a lettering device which is suitable for use by inexperienced personnel to form relatively accurately and evenly spaced printed messages having an improved overall appearance.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a lettering device which is suitable for lettering messages on a plurality of evenly spaced lines.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a lettering device which is of simple and inexpensive construction and has greater versatility in application.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a lettering device which has a minimum number of parts, is lightweight, portable, compact and durable.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which of the foregoing will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by said drawing and the description may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to said drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a top perspective view of a lettering device constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of a lettering guide 3,381,334 Patented May 7, 1968 formed with letter symbols and for use in the device of the present invention.

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the body of the lettering device of the present invention with the lettering guide removed.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged end view of the lettering device taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE l.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on line 5 5 of FIGURE l.

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 6-6 of FIGURE 4.

The lettering device of the present invention comprises, briey, a body, generally designated 11, having a bed 12, formed to receive and hold in indexed relation thereto a member having a surface to be lettered, and a lettering guide supporting portion 13, and an elongated lettering guide 14 mounted in the portion 13 for longitudinal reciprocation and being formed with a plurality of symbol openings 16 therein, portion 13 and guide 14 being formed to position symbol openings 16 for reciprocation across bed 12 and tie member surface.

The lettering device of the present invention is particularly well suited for use in lettering sheet stock or sheets in the form of cards, sheets of paper, or label tape which has been sized to iit and be held in indexed relation to bed 12. As illustrated in the drawing, and particularly in FIGURES l and 5, a member 17 having a surface 18 on which the letters or symbols are printed is in the form of a card or sheet having a predetermined thickness and lateral dimenion.

When member 16 takes the form of a sheet, it is preferable to construct the lettering device of the present invention with portion 13 overlying bed 12 in spaced relation to dene a sheet holding space 21. The body 11 is also formed with an open passageway 22 extending from side 23 of the body to space 21 for entry and withdrawal of sheets.

In order to provide a lettering device which holds the member and particularly sheets in an indexed relation thereto for more accurate and uniform location of letters on .the sheet, it has been found desirable lt-o construct the device of three layers or levels. This may best be seen in FIGURES 4, 5 and 6 and is a convenient way of setting forth the details of construction Vof a preferred form of the device .of the present invention. FIGURE 6 illustrates the lowest layer of the device, which is equivalent to the bed portion 12 of body 11. Bed 12 is formed with a recess 26 having a perimeter 27 and depth of Isuicient and predetermined form and dimension to receive a sized or standardized sheet. Extending outwardly to side 23 recess 26 forms passageway 22 which communicates with recess 26 for sliding of :sheets `17 through the passageway and into and from the recess for indexing the sheet inthe device. The perimeter 2'7 of recess 26 may seem to have a pair of opposed rectangular and longitudinally extending arms 28 and 29. "Recess arms `28 and 29 `are formed -to re'ceive and hold in indexed relation standard pressuresensitive label tape. Such label tape is not normally inserted through passageway 22 but is instead placed in -the device through the opening or slot 31 which will be more -fully described hereinafter. Perimeter 27 is also formed with a segment'32 of the same general width as passageway 22 and a depth sutlicient 4to allow a card or sheet inserted through passageway 22 to extend 'beyond the opening 31 so Vas .to be in a suitable position for let-tering.

Segment 32 also allows the user to letter a multiplicity of `lines on the sheet or Icard as `the card may be inserted only partially into the recess, which can be visually judged by lining up the sheet with opening 31 and a line of letters or symbols printed. The sheet may then be forced into segment 32 and a second series of symbols lettered thereon. It will -be understood that the device may be provided with a 'series of inserts which can be removably mounted in recess segment 32 to provide for the various sizes of cards and letters on various lines. For example, segment 32 may be filled with an insert which extends outwardly to the lopening 31 or to the edge of the arms 28 and 29. With such 'an insert in place, a first line of letters may be lettered on the sheets surface. The insert may then be remo-ved and card 17 manually inserted into .the lback of segment 32 and a second line of letters formed -on surface 13 of the sheet.

The second level of the device, which may or may not be integrally formed with the bed 12, is comprised cf two spaced, parallel and longitudinally extending body portions 36 and 37. When formed as a separate member, portion 36 has a generally rectangular cross-section which extends over fthe length of bed 12 and in overlying relation tt-o space 2,1 .to `form the upper surface of passageway 22. Extending longitudinally over portion 36 is shoulder 38 which provides a guide for the longitudinal reciprooation of lettering guide 14.

It is preferable in order to facilitate the accurate lateral spacing of symbols on the sheet surface 18 to form body port-ion 36 with lateral gradations 39 adjacent shoulder 3S and to construct portion 36 and member 14 so that the upper surface 41 of portion 36 `and surface 4t2 of lettering guide 14 are substantially flush or at the same height. This may best be seen in FIGURES 4 and 5. As so formed, symbol openings 16 are positioned 'immediately adjacent gradations 39 and accurate spacing of symbols is greatly facilitated. Moreover, gradations 39 are in `close proximity to surface 18 to thereby allow easy longitudinal centering of the message on sheet 17.

For greater ease and manually inserting and removing sheets into recess 26 through passageway 22, it is a feature of the present invention to construct portion 36 with a relieved or cut-out centrally located indentation 413 and to correspondingly form bed 12 with a cut-out or indentation d4. As best may be seen in FIGURE l, card 17 will protrude Ifrom cut-outs d3 and 44 for easy manual gripping for removal from recess 26.

In order to provide for 'accurate longitudinal reciprocaltion of member 14 across bed 12 and sheet surface 13, it is preferable to `construct the body portion 37 with shoulder 46 vbeing in laterally spaced and parallel relation to shoulder 36 extending over the length of body 1-1 and `to provide an overhanging shelf or extension 47. Shoulder 45 and shelf 47 cooperating with shoulder 38 provide a letter guide supporting Iportion of body 11 for the lettering guide 14 which allows smooth, even and accurately controlled longitudinal reciprocation of member 1d for lettering o'f any letter or symbol in any given position over bed 12. Extension 47 is the third level when the device is constructed of a plurality of layered members and terminates in an edge or shoulder 4S which, with shoulder 3S, defines opening of slo-t 31 over the length of body 11. When lettering guide 1d is removed, longitudinally extending slot 31 opens to recess Z6 and that por-tion of surface 13 upon which symbols will be lettered when sheet 17 is mounted on lbed 12 in recess 26.

In order `to visually check the indexing of sheet 18 and recess 26, a plur-ality of openings 49 are formed in shelf 47 in superimposed relation to perimeter 27 of recess 26. Formed on extension 47 are raised lines or indicia S1 which correspond to and are superimposed over perimeter 27 so that sheet 18 may be accurately visually indexed in recess 26. This visual indexing can be accomplished with llettering guide 14 adjusted to one yend or removed from the guideway, or if lettering guide 14 is translucent or transparent indexing may be visually accomplished with the lettering guide in place.

As a further feature of the present invention and in order to maximize the number and convenience of use of the symbols which may be lettered, symmetrical halves 56 and 57 are formed having two series S3 and 59 of oppositely facing symbols to allow lettering from one side of one-half 56 onto the surface of sheet 17 and inverting of the guide for lettering from the opposite half 57 to the series of symbols 59. In this manner halves 56 and 57 vmay be interchangeably positioned for lettering through opening or slot 31 over sheet 17. As best may be seen in FIGURES 4 and 5, halves 55 and 57 are provided with oppositely facing laterally extending recesses 61 and 62 so that when a given half is positioned over sheet 17, the corresponding recess will face downwardly and be superimposed over the surface to be lettered. In this manner ink or other wet marking media can be lettered on the sheet and guide 14 laterally reciprocated without smearing the lettered symbol.

I claim:

1. A lettering device comprising, a body having a bed formed with a recess having a perimeter and depth formed and dimensioned to receive a sheet sized to fit in sait recess with the exposed surface of said sheet substantially flush with said bed, said body being formed with an open passageway extending from a side of said body into registration with said recess for entry and withdrawal of a sheet through said passageway to and from said recess, an elongated lettering guide supporting portion formed to provide a longitudinally extending slot overlying and registering with said recess, an elongated lettering guide formed with a plurality of symbol openings therein and carried by said slot for longitudinal reciprocation in overlying relation to a sheet and being slidably mounted on said bed for retaining a sheet in said recess.

2. A lettering device as defined in claim 1, wherein said guide is formed with two symmetrical longitudinally extending halves, each of said halves being formed with a series of said symbol openings to allow lettering from one side of one half onto the surface of an underlying sheet and along a line parallel to said slot and allow inverting said guide and lettering from the opposite side of the other half onto said surface whereby the symbol opening in the respective halves may be interchangeably positioned at selected longitudinal spacing on Said line.

3. The lettering device as defined in claim 2, wherein said guide halves are formed with laterally extending recesses in oppositely facing sides, each of said recesses in said halves being formed in the side of said half, facing downwardly and being superimposed over said area upon positioning of said half for lettering therethrough.

4. A lettering device as defined in claim 1, wherein said guide supporting portion is comprised of a first shoulder extending longitudinally over the length of and in overlying relation to said bed, said shoulder being formed adjacent the side of said body from which said passageway extends, a second laterally spaced substantially parallel shoulder extending longitudinally over the length of and in overlying relation to said bed and adjacent the opposite side of said body, and a shelf member superimposed over and extending from said second shoulder toward said first shoulder in spaced relation to said bed to define said slot overlying said bed and a longitudinally extending guideway dimensioned to slidably receive said guide.

5. A lettering device as defined in claim 4, wherein said guide and first shoulder have substantially the same vertical height so that said guide is mounted for reciprocation substantially fiush to said shoulder and said shoulder carries a plurality of longitudinal gradations over a substantial length thereof to facilitate uniform selective positioning of said guide over said sheet.

6. A lettering device as defined in claim 5, wherein said body is formed with an indentation therein centrally of the side thereof from `which said passageway extends to allow manual gripping of sheets positioned in said recess for insertion and removal thereof through said passageway.

7. A lettering device as dehned in claim d, wherein said shelf extends toward said first shoulder in overlying 5 6 relation to said recess and is formed with spaced open- 2,152,904 4/ 1939 McNeil 33-174 ings therein for visual indexing of said sheets in said 2,543,714 2/ 1951 Bednarczuk 33-174 recess. 2,690,017 9/1954 Neill 33-174 References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 1,288,209 2/ 1962 France.

1,105,810 8/ 1914 lMcAll 33--174 SAMUEL S. MATTHEWS, Primary Examiner. 

